Complexity science: Complexity and clinical care

摘要

Biological and social systems are inherently complex, so it is hardly surprising that few if any human illnesses can be said to have a single "cause" or "cure." This article applies the principles introduced in the introductory article in this series to three specific clinical areas: the control of blood glucose levels in diabetes, the management of diagnostic uncertainty, and health promotion. A complex adaptive system is a collection of individual agents with freedom to act in ways that are not always totally predictable, and whose actions are interconnected so that the action of one part changes the context for other agents. In relation to human health and illness there are several levels of such systems.